


Starting Over

by AniDragon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bartender Lance (Voltron), Farmer Shiro, M/M, Mentions of Chronic Illness, Mentions of PTSD, Stardew Valley AU, mentions of amputation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-14 08:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16909449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniDragon/pseuds/AniDragon
Summary: Fed up with the drudgery of his call center job at Galra Corp, Shiro stumbles upon the sealed envelope his grandfather had left him upon his passing and opens it, discovering it to be the deed to a farm just outside of a small town a few hours away. He’s not able to hand in his resignation fast enough.Moving to Stardew Valley turns out to be exactly what Shiro needed. He learns that farmwork, while difficult, is a lot more fulfilling than he expected, he gets to reconnect with an old childhood friend, and he makes some new friends, too… Including a certain blue-eyed bartender who quickly becomes more than just a friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to my beta, Cass, and my two artists, Elryk Vail and Algernon Blue/Jaynelleart! You've all spoiled me. The art in this chapter is Algernon Blue's, which can be found here: http://jaynelleart.tumblr.com/post/180932769084/title-starting-over-writer-anidragon-beta
> 
> Thank you also to the Shance AU Bang mods for running this event!

This was _not_ the life that Shiro had planned for himself.

 

Sure, he'd known that his accident would mean that he'd be barred from his dream of going into space. He'd made peace with it, even. Still, he hadn't expected the job he'd taken to help cover his medical bills while he recovered would be quite so soul-sucking.

 

“Thank you for choosing Galra Corp, Shiro speaking, how can I help you?” he greeted automatically when his headset beeped in his ear.

 

He went through the call on auto pilot, not even registering what it was about.

 

When the call ended, he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest them for a moment. It was a slow day, which, on one hand, meant there were less mind-numbing calls, but on the other hand also meant that it left him with too much time to just sit with his thoughts.

 

Five years, he’d been at Galra Corp. Five years since he’d been told that while he’d be able to fly planes with a prosthetic arm if he wanted to, the physical requirements for astronauts were much stricter due to the lack of medical personnel in space, and the risks were too high, especially with the existing complications of his chronic illness.

 

Shiro enjoyed flying, but his end goal had always been to eventually go into space. With that dream cut off, he hadn’t seen much point in continuing with piloting.

 

Galra Corp was supposed to have been a temporary thing. Just until he reoriented himself and figured out what he wanted to do with his life. It was never meant to _become_ his life. But then the depression and PTSD had stalled him, and his boyfriend had left him, and here he still was.

 

He shook his head. He needed to find a distraction from his darker thoughts.

 

He opened up one of the drawers of his desk at random. He kept some trinkets there to keep himself entertained on slow days. There was a deck of cards, a rubix cube, and even a crochet hook and some yarn, though he’d never gotten very far in learning that particular hobby. Finally, he eyed a plastic bag full of paperwork from home he’d been meaning to organize. It wasn’t a _fun_ task, but it was just the sort of thing that would let him shut off his brain, which was what he needed right then.

 

Most of the bag was old bills that needed to be shredded, but there were a few tax receipts that he set aside for now in a pile of things to keep. Shiro went through the bag one by one, but then paused when he came across a sealed envelope.

 

He looked at it curiously. His full name was on the front of it in handwritten kanji, but there was no address or stamp, so it clearly hadn't come through the mail.

 

He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his name written out in kanji. Not since his grandfather had died, anyway, and--

 

Wait. Hadn't his grandfather left him a sealed envelope when he’d passed away?

 

The memory came crashing down on him then. That's right. “There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burdens of modern life,” his grandfather had told him. That was when he was meant to open this letter.

 

At the time, Shiro's life had been going perfectly. It was before his accident, and he’d been at the top of his class in flight school, headed towards greatness. So he'd tucked the letter away and forgotten about it.

 

Until now.

 

He ripped the envelope open and pulled out what was inside. There were a few pages of official documents that Shiro skimmed over quickly before setting them aside, and a handwritten letter.

 

“Dear Takashi,” it read. “If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.”

 

He read through the letter, his eyes widening as he went. Then he read it again, and picked up the paperwork that had been with it.

 

His grandfather had left him the deed to a farm.

 

Shiro had never really done a lot of yard work. The farm was also in a whole other state, so he’d have to quit his job and move several hours away where he wouldn't know anyone.

 

Seconds later, he was opening up his work e-mail to type in his resignation letter.

 

He had nothing here. No friends, no family, no future. He was ready for a fresh start.

 

~*~

 

“I’m sorry, did you just say you quit your job?” his therapist, Slav, asked him incredulously.

 

“Yeah,” Shiro answered. “And I’m moving away, so I was wondering if you had any recommended therapists in the Stardew Valley area.”

 

He narrowed his eyes, “Where?”

 

Shiro pulled out his phone and showed him the pin on his map app.

 

Slav slipped on his glasses and squinted at the screen. “That’s in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any therapists in that area off hand. You’ll have to look for yourself once you’re there. When did you say you were moving?”

 

“Two weeks,” Shiro said. “I know it’s short notice… And you’ll probably tell me I haven’t thought things through, and you’d probably be right… But I just feel like I need to do this.”

 

“Actually, moving to the country helps 75% of PTSD sufferers achieve a higher quality of life. Though, doing it impulsively reduces it to 65%.”

 

Shiro cracked a smile. “I’ll take those odds.”

 

“Do you have plans for what you’ll do once you get there?”

 

“I actually inherited some farmland from my grandfather. I want to see if I can get it up and running again.”

 

Slav glanced down at his arm. “Have you spoken to your physiotherapist yet to see if your prosthetic can handle farmwork? And what of your illness?”

 

“I just had my appointment with them,” he answered. “My prosthetic is high-end enough to handle simple farm tools. As for my illness… I’ll be fine for a couple more years, and my doctor says that exercise will help abate my symptoms, though they suggested trying to get as much of the farm automated during that time as I can, to prepare.”

 

Slav nodded. “Well, you might not have thought the original decision through, but at least you’re taking all the right steps now. I wish you luck, Shiro.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

A week and a half later, he received a text message from Slav with the name and office address of Dr. Ryner in Pelican Town, which was just down the road from his grandfather’s farm.

 

Shiro smiled when he got the text. Slav might have been weird, and got on Shiro’s nerves sometimes, but he came through when it counted.

 

~*~

 

The train ride to Stardew Valley, while uneventful, left Shiro feeling tired and achy. He didn't do so well with sitting still for long periods of time. (Another reason to be done with call centers, to be honest) Still, when he stepped off the train, it was with a renewed sense of purpose. This was where he would start his new life.

 

There was a woman on the platform, and she waved him over when she saw him. She was tall and muscular, with two toned hair that was dark at the top and faded to a pink at the bottom. He was fairly certain he'd never met her before, but there was something about her face that seemed familiar.

 

“You must be Mr. Shirogane,” she greeted him, extending her hand.

 

“Call me Shiro,” he replied, reaching over to shake it.

 

“My name’s Krolia,” she began. “I’m the town’s carpenter. Your grandfather named me caretaker of the farm until you were ready to take it over. I thought I’d show you where the farm is and let you know what kind of things need to be worked on.”

 

“Oh, thank you!” Shiro smiled. “I appreciate that.”

 

“Our mayor, Alfor, should already be at the house,” she said. “We don’t get many new people here, so he’s eager to meet you.”

 

It was a short walk from the train station to the farm. When he got there, though, it was to the sight of overgrown land.

 

Krolia must have noticed his hesitation, and was quick to offer some reassurance. “It’s not as bad as it looks, I promise. There’s a lot of overgrowth, but the land is fertile and easy to work.”

 

“I believe you,” Shiro assured her. “I'm just… suddenly worried that I might have bitten off more than I can chew.”

 

“If it gets to be too much, please don't hesitate to ask for help. There's a good community here, and I know quite a few who are excited to have a new face around, and who'll want you to succeed.”

 

“I'll keep that in mind,” Shiro promised.

 

The sound of a door opening got his attention, then, and he turned to the small farmhouse on the edge of the land. An older man had just come out from the front door, and he smiled at the sight of them. “Oh! Is this Mr. Shirogane?”

 

“Shiro,” he corrected. “You must be Mayor Alfor?”

 

“I am, yes.” He hurried down the stairs and came to shake Shiro's hand. “Everything seems to be in order with the house. It's been cleaned, and the plumbing and electricity work.”

 

“Well, that's a relief,” Shiro laughed. “Thank you, both of you, for keeping the place maintained.”

 

“I realize you’re probably eager to make yourself at home, so we’ll get out of your way,” Alfor said. “But please don’t hesitate to come by Pelican Town to meet the locals. If you need supplies to get started on your farm, my husband Coran runs the General Store where you can buy seeds and fertilizer.”

 

“I’ll be sure to head down once I’m settled in,” Shiro said. He had to go down that way anyway to meet with Dr. Ryner.

 

He headed into the house once they left and found that they'd gotten him some some simple farming tools and some parsnip seeds to get him started, along with a bowl of fresh fruit.

 

He took a look around the house. It was small, but solid and cozy. It was clear that he had a lot of work ahead of him, but at least he had a good place to rest his head, and friendly neighbors.

 

~*~

 

A few hours and a lot of hard work later, Shiro had managed to clear out enough land to plant and water the parsnip seeds Alfor had gotten him. It left him tired and aching, but it was the good kind of ache he associated with a thorough workout. Still, he knew his limits enough to know that he wouldn’t get anymore work done that day, so he headed into town.

 

Pelican Town wasn’t very big, so Dr. Ryner’s office was easy to find. He walked into the reception area, but paused at the sight of a familiar young man behind the desk.

 

“Keith?” he questioned, surprised. He was older than Shiro remembered, but there was no mistaking his childhood best friend.

 

The man looked over and his eyes widened at the sight of him. “What… _Shiro_ ? _You're_ the new farmer that just moved in today?”

 

“The farm used to be my grandfather's,” he offered by way of explanation. “What are _you_ doing out here?”

 

Keith huffed out a laugh. “Long story. But the short version is that I found my mom, and she lives here, so…”

 

“Oh, wow,” Shiro smiled. Keith had been living with a foster family next door to Shiro’s grandfather's house the last time they'd seen each other. His mother being MIA had always been a sore subject. Shiro was glad to hear that he'd found her.

 

A sudden realization came to him, then. “Wait… Krolia?” He’d _thought_ she looked familiar.

 

“Yeah,” Keith nodded. “If you'd like, my shift is almost over. We can go catch up after you're done with whatever business you have here.”

 

“That would be great,” Shiro said sincerely. It would be nice to start this new phase of his life with a friend at his side.

 

The process to sign up as a new patient for Dr. Ryner ended up involving a lot of paperwork, but the meeting with the doctor herself left him optimistic. Dr. Ryner was kind and soft-spoken, and it was obvious that she cared about her patients.

 

When his appointment was finished, he found Keith waiting for him outside. Next to him was a beautiful dark-skinned woman with white hair. She was a couple of inches taller than him, and carried herself with an elegance he usually associated with people who were high-class.

 

“Hey,” Keith greeted him. “Is it alright if my girlfriend joins us?”

 

“Of course,” Shiro smiled at her. “I imagine we'd have come across each other eventually anyway. I'm Shiro.”

 

“Allura,” she responded, holding her hand out to shake his. “You've met one of my fathers already, I've heard.”

 

“Oh, the mayor?” Shiro asked, recognising their similar features. “Yes, he came by to make sure the farmhouse was livable, and brought over some tools to get me started. It was very kind of him.”

 

Keith grinned. “Alfor's pretty great, yeah. He has a way of making people feel welcome. So does her other dad, but Coran is a bit more…” He looked at Allura, who giggled.

 

“Let's go with ‘spirited’,” she suggested.

 

“I was going to say eccentric.”

 

Shiro followed the two of them to another building that was a bit down the road as they spoke. The sign on the front identified it as the Stardrop Saloon.

 

“A saloon?” Shiro asked, amused. “Like in an old cowboy movie?”

 

Keith snorted. “Take it up with my step-mom, Romelle. She owns the place.”

 

“No, no, I’m not making fun,” he assured him. “It’s kind of charming.”

 

They made their way inside, and Shiro introduced himself to Keith’s bubbly step-mom before they chose a table in the corner to sit down at. Romelle brought them each a drink to start with, and they quickly lost themselves in conversation.

 

Allura, having lived in the area longer, talked about Pelican Town and what sights he really needed to visit. Keith talked about how he met Kolivan, who now ran the Adventurer’s Guild up in the mountains, and how he’d seen Keith’s resemblance to Krolia and got the two of them into contact.

 

When their drinks started getting low, Keith waved someone over to them. Shiro _thought_ he’d been waving to Romelle, but when he turned to thank her for his new drink he found himself looking up at a young man who was probably, to be frank, the most gorgeous person he’d ever seen.

 

Shiro’s mouth froze open in the middle of his sentence. While the lighting wasn’t the greatest in the saloon, there was no hiding the man’s teasing smile that made his dark blue eyes light up. He was tall, though not as tall as Shiro, with a slim build, tanned skin, and brown hair cropped short.

 

“Hi,” was all Shiro managed to get out.

 

“Well, hey, you must be new,” the man replied with a grin. “There’s no way I would have missed such a handsome face around here.”

 

Shiro felt himself blush. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before stammering out his name and sticking his hand out.

 

The man laughed and shook his hand. His skin was incredibly soft. “Nice to meet you, Shiro. I’m Lance. Let me know if you need anything else tonight, alright?”

 

Lance winked at him as he left, and Shiro couldn’t help but stare after him.

 

“Jeeze, I could have sworn you had better taste than that,” Keith teased.

 

Shiro whipped his head back around. “Huh?”

 

Allura playfully slapped Keith’s arm. “Be nice.”

 

Keith chuckled. “I’m just teasing. Lance and I had a rocky start when I first moved here, but he’s a good guy. I’m not sure if he’s actually into guys, though…” He looked at Allura questioningly.

 

She shrugged. “He flirts with everyone while he’s bartending, but outside of work I’ll admit I’ve only seen him show interest towards women…”

 

Shiro’s shoulders slumped. “Oh.”

 

That was fine. Really. The last thing he wanted was to be the jerk who assumed that a bartender being nice to him meant he wanted to date him.

 

Keith pat his shoulder. “Hey, it’s fine. I mean, he’s hardly shown interest towards anyone other than _Allura_ for the past couple of years, so we don’t know for sure, right? You should still get to know him if you ever see him around outside of work.”

 

“Right,” Shiro nodded. It wasn’t like he moved all the way out here just to find a boyfriend, after all. Making friends was more important at this point.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to my beta, Cass, and my two artists, Elryk Vail and Algernon Blue/Jaynelleart! The art in this chapter is Elryk Vail's, which can be found here: http://elryk-vail.tumblr.com/post/180936867773/the-two-pieces-for-my-final-fic-for-the

The next few weeks found Shiro too busy on the farm to worry much about his dating life. Sure, he made time to head into town on most days to meet the rest of the residents, but for some reason only ever came across Lance while he was working. 

 

Not that watching Lance serve drinks was the  _ worst _ thing in the world, of course. He was certainly easy on the eyes. But the fact that Keith and Allura were usually there with him meant that Shiro couldn't pine properly without getting teased. 

 

Still, his farm was coming along well. He’d cleared out more land, planted more crops, and explored more of the property. There was a broken down greenhouse that could be nice to renovate, and a shrine deeper on the property that someone had set up for his grandfather.

 

There was also a heavily wooded area just off the property that caught his attention. Sometimes in the evening he heard noises from there that likely came from wild animals. It gave him a vaguely ominous feeling, but he couldn’t help but be curious about what was out there.

 

That all came into play about a week later. It had rained most of the day, which tended to aggravate the symptoms of his illness, so Shiro had taken the opportunity for a day off to rest. The rain and humidity had let up by the evening, though, giving him a sorely needed reprieve.

 

He was taking the opportunity to do a few stretching exercises when he heard some odd noises coming from outside.

 

Curious, he took a look out the window, but it had grown too dark outside to see anything clearly. Common sense would have been to let it be, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to just take a quick look around, so long as he didn't stray far from the door.

 

He lit up a lantern and inched the front door open, peeking out. When he didn't see anything immediately around him, he opened the door further and held the lantern out, trying to see further out into the field.

 

 

He was ready to dismiss the noises as a bat or raccoon, or maybe one of those slimes he'd heard the townsfolk talking about the other day, when he spotted a shadow near the silo. He aimed the lamp towards it, and felt his heart jump up into his throat at the sight of the creature. It was about the size of a small person, and walked upright like one, but that was about where the similarities ended. It looked like it was covered in some sort of dark shell, or maybe mud, and shuffled along like a zombie in a monster movie. 

 

Shiro immediately retreated back into his house, closing and locking the door in record time. He stood with his back to it and took some deep breaths to try and get his heart rate under control. 

 

After a moment, he put down the lantern and sent a text to Keith that basically consisted of “zombies?!???!!”. A few minutes later, Keith messaged back asking if he'd fallen asleep watching horror movies and woke up thinking they were real again. Which, okay,  _ rude _ , he'd only done that  _ once _ .

 

Rolling his eyes, he put his phone away and focused on making sure all of his windows and doors were secure. He was sure he wouldn't be sleeping well that night, but it was better than nothing. 

 

~*~

 

He felt like a zombie, himself, the next morning. 

 

As tired and jumpy as he felt, he at least managed to get through his morning routine. There was no sign of the strange creature from last night, and Shiro was starting to wonder if he might have imagined it. 

 

He wandered into town, thinking of maybe checking with Alfor to see if he'd heard of anything like that before. In his daze, though, he didn't notice Lance until he'd almost bumped into him. 

 

“Ah, sorry!” he exclaimed with a wince. “I must have zoned out. I wasn't watching where I was going.”

 

“Don't worry about it,” Lance said with a smile, patting his shoulder. “We all have those days.” His smile quickly changed into a frown when he got a look at Shiro's face, though. “Man, you look like you're  _ really _ having one of those days. Everything all right?”

 

Shiro shrugged. “Just tired. I spotted a… Really weird creature on my farm last night, and didn't sleep well because I got paranoid about zombies.” He tried to punctuate the last point with a chuckle, but it came out strained. “I was going to go find Alfor, see if he knew anything about them.”

 

“Why don't you ask Kolivan?” Lance suggested. “He runs the Adventurer’s Guild, so if anyone knows anything about weird creatures, it'll be him. He might even be able to get you a weapon or something.”

 

Oh, right. Keith had mentioned Kolivan and the Adventurer’s Guild, hadn't he?

 

“Do you know where I can find him?” He asked. 

 

“He's up in the mountains, near the mines,” Lance answered. “I can take you there, if you'd like.”

 

“Are you sure?” Shiro asked. “I wouldn't want to impose.”

 

Lance waved a hand, “Don't worry about it! I didn't have any plans today besides playing video games. I don't mind helping you out.”

 

They chatted amicably as Lance led him towards the northern end of town. Or at least, Lance did. He mentioned he lived with his sister, Veronica, and talked about several other siblings he had, as well as a niece and nephew. It was mostly small talk, but it was still nice to be able to talk to Lance properly outside of his workplace. 

 

The Adventurer’s Guild ended up being a pretty small and unassuming shack nestled up against the side of a cliff face, across from a large lake. It wasn't far from Keith's house, but Shiro was fairly certain he wouldn't have found it on his own. 

 

Once inside, he balked a bit at the sight of the large man standing near a rack of weapons. He was tall, taller than even Shiro himself, and seemed to be made of muscles. When he turned to fix them with an unimpressed glare, Shiro noticed a long scar going across his right eye.

 

Shiro froze in the entryway, but Lance strolled right in and waved at the man. 

 

“Hey Kolivan! What's up?”

 

The man, Kolivan, grunted before putting down the dagger he'd been examining. “The mines are getting overrun by slimes again.”

 

Lance made a face. “Urgh, those things are a pain. Weren't Keith and Allura going to be working on thinning them down?”

 

“They've been putting in a valiant effort, but it's not a quick job. I'm sure they'd have more success with some help; I seem to recall  _ you _ having considerable archery skills. You could join them.”

 

Lance grumbled something, and then abruptly grabbed Shiro's arm to pull him forward. “Anyway, the slimes aren't why I'm here. Shiro's been seeing weird stuff on his farm. I thought you might have some insight.”

 

Shiro filed away Lance's response to Kolivan's question and quickly introduced himself before describing the creature he'd seen the night before. 

 

Kolivan nodded gravely. “A wilderness golem, it sounds like. They are quite unsettling to see, though fortunately you'll only come across them at night. I have several weapons here that would be effective if you ever come across one again.”

 

A weapon sounded like a good idea. He looked over at the display on the wall. “Have you got any recommendations?”

 

Kolivan led him over to a section with clubs and heavier blades. “Golems are covered in a hard shell, so you won't have much luck with projectile weapons or smaller blades. Something heavier would be best.”

 

Shiro looked through the selection, trying to keep his budget in mind. He'd managed to make a bit of spending money by selling his crops, but he wasn't exactly rolling in cash.

 

Unfortunately, the heavier weapons were out of his price range, so he ended up settling on a simple sword. He tentatively tried gripping it with his prosthetic at first, but, not satisfied with the amount of control he had with it, switched over to his left hand. 

 

Well, it was better than nothing. 

 

“If you're up for it, you can also practice with that blade in the mines,” Kolivan suggested. “As I mentioned before, we have a bit of a problem with slimes. But there’s good ore down there if you're willing to delve deep enough. Perhaps this one will give you some cover with his bow.” He said the last part with a nod towards Lance. 

 

“Huh. Yeah, that could work, actually,” Lance agreed. It seemed a bit quick, considering how reluctant he had sounded about going into the mines earlier. Was it just the prospect of going with Keith and Allura that bothered him? “I bet we could make a good team, Shiro!”

 

“I'd be up for trying, yeah,” Shiro agreed. “Not today, though. I have a lot of catching up to do on the farm after the rain yesterday.”

 

“Of course,” Kolivan nodded. “The mines will be there when you're ready. And feel free to return here if you ever need to upgrade your weapon.”

 

Shiro sheathed his new sword as they left the shack and started heading back towards town. He paused when they got close to Keith's house. 

 

“There's a shortcut back to my farm up here,” he explained when Lance looked at him quizzically. “Thank you for showing me where that was, though. I appreciate it.”

 

“Any time,” Lance flashed him a smile. “You're a cool guy to hang out with. Actually…” He looked nervous for a moment. “I know you said you've got farmwork to do, but are you busy tonight?”

 

Shiro thought of what he had planned for that day. If things went well, he was fairly certain he’d be done by supper time. “I should be free. Why?”

 

“It's my night off,” Lance replied with a shrug. “You've been coming to the saloon a lot, but I thought we could get to know each other when I'm not working. Did you want to go hang out at the beach or something?”

 

Shiro felt his cheeks heat up. Was Lance… asking him out? Or was he just offering friendship?

 

Either way, he wasn't about to turn him down. 

 

“That sounds great, actually.”

 

“Awesome!” Lance gave him a wave. “I'll meet you there after supper, then? Say around 6:30?”

 

“I'll be there,” Shiro replied. 

 

~*~

 

**_Keith:_ ** _ Don't forget to dress nicely for your date with Lance tonight! _

 

Shiro frowned at Keith's text. 

 

**_Shiro:_ ** _ It's not a date. We're just hanging out. _

 

Not that Shiro didn't  _ want _ it to be a date. In fact, he very much wanted it to be a date. But he was a realist, and after going over Lance's words in his head a few times, there was nothing in them to indicate that this was anything more than a platonic outing.

 

Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't going to make an effort. He'd showered and changed into clean clothes. It was nearing summer, and the beach was a pretty casual place, so he opted for a pair of cargo shorts and a tee-shirt, with his swim trunks underneath in case the water was warm enough to go swimming. 

 

He eyed his prosthetic for a moment, but then opted to leave it home. He often got a bit self-conscious about going out without it, but it would just get full of sand that he'd have to clean out later. Besides, if Lance turned out to be a jerk about it, then Shiro would know not to waste any more time on him. 

 

He checked his phone to find another teasing text from Keith, then put it on silent with a roll of his eyes and headed out. 

 

It was a bit of a long walk to the beach, but at least the weather was perfect for it. The sun was shining, and there was a warm breeze that kept him from getting overheated.

 

He ended up arriving at the beach a little bit late, but when he spotted Lance the other man didn't seem bothered. He grinned broadly and waved Shiro over. 

 

“Hey, you made it!”

 

“Sorry I'm late,” Shiro apologized. “The walk was longer than I expected.”

 

“Don't worry about it, dude,” Lance shook his head. “You're still new, it's fine.”

 

Shiro took a look around the beach. He’d come by a couple of times already, but hadn’t really lingered. It was a small beach, but well maintained and not too busy. There was a dock that didn't get much use outside of a handful of fisherman, and a small trailer off to one side. 

 

“So, have you got a favourite spot?” Shiro asked. 

 

“Naturally,” Lance replied, winking. “Over this way, come on!”

 

Shiro followed him past a small stream leading to a new part of the beach he hadn’t noticed before. It was a bit rockier, but quieter, too. There weren’t any other people there, and it felt more isolated.

 

“You’re not just taking me to a spot where it’s easier to hide the body, are you?” Shiro joked.

 

Lance snorted, glancing over his shoulder. “As if I could take you on. Have you  _ seen _ your muscles?”

 

“Yes, well, you might still have the upper  _ hand _ ,” Shiro teased, waving the stump of his right arm.

 

Lance cracked up at that. “Okay, be honest, how many hand and arm puns am I signing up for in this friendship?”

 

Shiro grinned. “Oh, I’d say an  _ arm _ full.”

 

“You’re a menace.”

 

“Am I? But I’m dis- _ arm _ ed!”

 

“A menace!”

 

Lance led him to another dock that was on this part of the beach, though there weren’t any fishermen on this one. He sat at the end of it, dangling his legs over the edge, then patted the spot next to him.

 

Shiro sat down probably a bit closer than what was appropriate but, well, he was only human. And Lance didn’t seem to mind the brush of Shiro’s left arm against his.

 

“This is the best spot to watch the ocean from,” Lance said, gazing out at the water. “Most people stick to the main part of the beach, so there’s almost always no one here. It’s just you and the water. Well, and the sky, too, I guess.”

 

“You’re a big fan of the ocean?” Shiro asked.

 

Lance nodded. “When I was a kid, I used to be obsessed with mermaids. I wanted to be a marine biologist so that I could meet some. I was pretty disappointed when I learned that they’re not actually real.” He laughed. “It’s silly, I know…”

 

“Hey, no it’s not,” Shiro elbowed him lightly. “It’s not any weirder than me wanting to be an astronaut because of my childhood obsession with aliens. And there are other cool things in the ocean, just like there are other cool things in space.”

 

“That’s true,” Lance looked back at Shiro and grinned. “I never got very far with the marine biologist thing, but I did learn about some pretty cool things. Not mermaid levels of cool, but still cool.”

 

“There you go,” Shiro said encouragingly. 

 

“What about you?” Lance asked. “Did you learn any cool non-alien related space things?”

 

“Definitely. I was at the top of all my classes at the Garrison before my accident.”

 

“Wait.” Lance turned to face him fully. “The Garrison? As in the Galaxy Garrison? You mean you were actually on your way to becoming an astronaut?”

 

“I was, yeah.” Shiro was a bit surprised at how easy it was to talk about that part of his life. Even with Keith, he tended to gloss over it. “I was in my last year, and being considered for a mission.”

 

“And you got kicked out because of your arm?” Lance asked, frowning. “Are they allowed to do that?”

 

“Physical requirements for astronauts are super strict,” Shiro answered. “So unfortunately, yeah. Well, they didn't kick me out per se, I could have stayed on to teach or something if I wanted to… But I couldn't continue with the space program.”

 

“That sucks.”

 

Shiro shrugged. “It is what it is.”

 

“Still, can't imagine going from ‘almost an astronaut’ to ‘farmer’.”

 

“Technically, I went from ‘almost an astronaut’ to ‘call center employee’ to ‘farmer’!” Shiro specified. “And it's definitely not what I would have chosen as a kid, but… You know what? I actually really enjoy it.”

 

“Yeah?” Lance asked. 

 

“Yeah,” Shiro confirmed. “When I worked at Galra Corp, I swore I could feel my soul physically leaving my body. But now, I actually feel… purposeful. Content. It's kind of amazing, to be honest. And the people here have been so welcoming.”

 

“Yeah, I noticed that Keith and Allura took you under their wing almost right away,” Lance mentioned. “Which surprised me a bit, especially coming from Keith. He's not usually that social.”

 

“He used to live next door to my grandfather,” Shiro explained. “So there's history there. But even outside of Keith and Allura, everyone has been very kind.”

 

Lance made an affirmative noise, and the two drifted off into companionable silence. After a moment, though, Shiro felt a question itching to get out.

 

“Keith mentioned you two got off on the wrong foot. Is that why you don't want to go hunt through the mines with him and Allura?”

 

Lance shrugged. “It's not really that. Keith and I still give each other grief, but it hasn't been serious in a long time. Mostly I just don't want to be a third wheel to him and Allura.”

 

“I doubt you'd be a third wheel,” Shiro assured him. “I've hung out with the two of them plenty of times, and it's not like they act all couply when there's other people there.”

 

“I know, it's just… I used to have a pretty massive crush on Allura. And I guess I’m still not over it?” he admitted. “And obviously if she’s happy with Keith, then I’m happy for her, but… Well, it stings a little to see them together, still… I’ll get over it and move on eventually, but I just… haven’t yet.”

 

Shiro winced sympathetically and pat Lance on the shoulder. “That’s rough.”

 

“Maybe if you’re there, too, it wouldn’t be as awkward?” Lance suggested. “If you don’t want to it’s alright, but… Well, it was just a thought.”

 

“I think that’s a great idea, actually,” Shiro agreed. “It sounds like you and Allura were close friends before all this, right? And you miss spending time with her?”

 

Lance nodded. “Yeah. And she’s offered to hang out, but I don’t want to feel like I’m getting in the way. And it’s not like I don’t have other friends, but, well, people get busy.”

 

“I doubt you would be getting in the way,” Shiro said. “But if we’re four instead of three, then maybe you’ll feel more comfortable. And, well, I get busy too, but I at least make my own hours, for the most part.”

 

“I… Thanks, Shiro.” Lance looked down, suddenly embarrassed. “I appreciate it.”

 

“It’s not like it’s a hardship to spend time with you,” Shiro teased.

 

“Still. I feel like I owe you. Maybe in return I could come help out at your farm, too?”

 

“If you  _ want _ to, I won’t say no,” Shiro admitted. “But don’t feel as if you have to.”

 

“I think I want to,” Lance said, smiling.

 

Shiro could definitely get used to that smile.


End file.
